The invention relates to joints that connect a first mechanical component to a second mechanical component, allowing either component to be tilted around two perpendicular axes relative to the other. Such joints may be used for a variety of purposes—for example, transmitting rotational motion between shafts that are angled relative to each other, or orienting a gripper on the end of a robotic arm relative to the arm itself. One basic example of a two-axis joint is a universal joint.
Several aspects are important in two-axis joint design, such as its range of motion, complexity, robustness, and whether or not it suffers from kinematic singularities. An opportunity exists to improve upon existing joints in one or more of these areas.